How much do you know about Zika virus?

Many people do not know about the Zika virus, which is a relatively strong infectious disease that is prone to break out in tropical regions. So far, there have been records of outbreaks of this virus in many countries, most of which are in the Americas. After being infected with the Zika virus, it is particularly harmful to the baby, easily causing microcephaly or even fetal death. Pregnant women are often infected and the disease is passed on to the fetus.

1. Microcephaly

A rare condition in which a baby's head becomes abnormally smaller. This is caused by abnormal brain development in the baby in the womb or during pregnancy. Infants and children with microcephaly often experience difficulties with brain development. Health authorities around the world are investigating a possible link between Zika virus infection in pregnant women and microcephaly in their babies.

2. Those with mild symptoms can recover on their own

Zika virus is not even as bad as dengue fever. The clinical symptoms of Zika virus infection are very similar to those of dengue fever and chikungunya fever, including fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis, and may also include headache, muscle pain, pain behind the eyes, and vomiting. Dengue fever may also cause a decrease in white blood cells and platelets, leading to internal bleeding and death in severe cases; Zika virus will not do this.

3. Sexual intercourse and mother-to-child transmission can also spread Zika

When living or traveling in epidemic areas, it is important to take measures to prevent mosquito bites, and also to guard against the risk of Zika infection through blood transfusions and sexual intercourse. All men and women returning from epidemic areas should not only protect themselves from mosquito bites, but also temporarily avoid sexual intercourse with pregnant women and their partners, or practice safe sex and insist on using condoms correctly.

4. To prevent a “spark from spreading across the prairie”, the key is to eliminate the Aedes mosquito

The risk of transmission initiated by the first imported case and further spread is low. However, as winter passes and spring and summer arrive, the temperature gradually rises and imported cases of Zika may continue to arrive. Whether this will cause an outbreak locally and how difficult it will be to prevent and control it will depend on the density of the Aedes albopictus mosquito and its effectiveness in transmitting Zika.

5. There is no specific medicine, so symptomatic treatment is the main treatment

If there are abnormalities in liver function tests, liver protection treatment is required to restore functional function. In addition, the test results of the patient's urine and saliva samples have not yet completely turned negative, which means that he still needs to continue to be isolated and observed until all samples are reviewed and two consecutive negative results appear, and then he can be considered to be released from isolation at an appropriate time.